Austin adams



v(No Model.)

A-ADAMS.

4IILAI'GJEL. I

Patented Aug.

Ei! V UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

AUSTIN ADAMS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. f

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,263, datedAugust 29, 1893.

Application filed February 2, 1893. Serial No. 460,701. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Self Locking and Wedging Fastening Device, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to appliances designed for purposes of fastening movable articles, as for example, doors, covers, &c., and of automatically locking the same, and also to means whereby the said movable articles may be wedged or drawn tight to their seat or closed position, and it has for its object the provision of a device simple in construction, inexpensive and readily applied and operated, and also eflicient in practical use.

To attain the desired end my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts first described and then pointed `out in the claims.

In the drawings which form a part `of this specification, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a fastener constructed according to myinvention. Fg.2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is aside elevation partly in section of my fastener, also showing my manual unlocking device; and Fig. 4 is a detail of my retaining means provided with an independent lock.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views.

A, represents a plate constructed and arranged to be bolted or otherwise secured to the movable article to be fastened as a door, and provided with aforwardly projecting arm A', carrying at approximately a right angle to the same, a horizontal tubular bearing A2, through which passes the shaft B, which is enlarged on opposite' sides of the same in order t0 abut against the said bearing. The shaft B, carries at its opposite extremities an outer operating handle B', and an inner weighted lever B2, and is constructed and arranged to turn freely in the tubular bearing A2. The said arm A' projects a distance beyond the edge of the door, &c., in order that when the same is closed the preferably weighted lever B2 will engage a retaining device consisting 5o of a base plate C, constructed and arranged to be bolted or otherwise secured to the stationary part, as a door casing, adjacent to the said movable article. This plate C is provided with twoforwardly projecting jaws C', C2, facing the projecting arm A', the two jaws VC', C2. becoming narrower toward their extremities which approach each other. As the door vis closed the weighted lever B2 will engage the lever jaw O2, and will ride upon the inclined edge of the same thus gradually turning the shaft B until the lever B2 assumes a horizontal posi tion whereupon the said weighted lever will pass between the jaws C', C2 and then fall" by gravity behind the jaw C2 The door, dac., is now locked by reason of the jaw C2 being located between the handle B', and the weighted lever B2, and it will be noted that the locking of the samevhas been accomplished entirely automatically, solely by pushing the door, dac., to a closed position. In order to wedge or effect an air tight fastening, I now press Athe depending handle B' to the left, whereupon the weighted lever B2 will be moved still farther along the inclined inner edge of the lower jaw O2, whereupon the door, &c., will be drawn with great force toward and rigidly held very tightly to the casing, dac.

In cases where my fastening device is used on a door ofa compartment, dsc., I provide means for opening or unlocking the same from the inside, as follows:-A shaft D s upported by a bearing E secured to the inner face of the door casing, carries at its extremities va handle D' and a crank D2, both rigidly secured to the said shaft D. The crank D2 is constructed and arranged to engage with the weighted lever B2, and by turning the handle D', the weighted lever may be caused to assume va horizontal position, whereupon the same may be pushed between the jaws C', O2 again, and the door thereby opened. I also use an independent lock in connection with my self-locking fastener, by means of which the same may be further secured, as for example, by attaching a padlock (not shown) to the jaws C', C2, containing the shaft B by means of the orifices C2, C4, located at the inward extremities of said jaws, or as shown in Fig. 4, I close the said jaws by means of a lock bolt F; controlled and operated by means of a key F In case of any sagging or shrinking or looseness of the door, .izc., occasioned by long use,

ICO

my wedge fastener will draw the parts closely, and hold the same rigidly together, and the simplicity of my fastener, the readiness with which it may be applied, together with the eiiciency of the same in practical operation, renders it applicable to a great variety of articles. It will be noted that the jaws C', C2 of my retaining means are of similar construction the appliance 4thus being interchangeable so as to beused with either a right or left hand door. In use with a left hand door the handle B will be turned to the right in order to wedge the saine, and the weighted lever B2 will ride upon the jaw C which will in this case be the lower jaw as the jaws C', C2 will be turned around so as to I` i porting a weight and handle, of a keeper secured to the jamb, and of independent means within the closed chamber for releasing the weighted arm from the keeper.

face theleft.

As it is evident that many slight changes'in the construction and relative arrangement of parts .might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, I g

I do hereby sign the same, in the city of New would have it understood that I do not re- Strict myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but that I reserve the right to make such changes, and that l. The combination, in a fastening device, with an arched laterally projecting bracket attached to a door and supporting a weight and handle, of a keeper secured to the jamb and provided with a jaw narrowed toward its extremity, whereby the fastening device may `the ,door may be opened and also closed and wedged tight with one hand.

3. The combination, in a fastening device, with a bracket attached toa door and sup- In testimony of the foregoing specification York, county andState of New York, this 28th day of January, A. D. 1893.

AUSTIN ADAMS; Witnesses:

J. ODELL FowLER, Jr., WM. M. V. FOWLER. 

